Sports Media Challenge has come out with a list of what they consider to be the most influential of hockey blogs, and of the ones on the list that I currently read, I can’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be there, despite what some of the authors claim.

I’m going to break them down, with a little commentary on those that I read, and if there’s one that I don’t, well, I’ll just mention that and move on.  And, no doubt about it, people need to remember that lists like this are opinions.  Certainly there’s other blogs on there that should be, but I’ll reserve that for the end.

Off Wing Opinion (General)

Not one that I read, or for that matter had heard of, but I’ve since subscribed to the feed and will be following as it looks like an interesting read.

James Mirtle (General)

James provides good coverage of the league in general, and it should be required reading for anyone who follows the game.  Besides, he’s from Kamloops, too, and there’s nothing wrong with that…

ThePensBlog (Penguins)

A hilarious blog that isn’t afraid to take shots at anyone.  And they hate the Rangers, so that’s always a bonus.

Battle of California (Ducks, Kings, Sharks)

I first came across this site last year when the Ducks and Canucks met in the second round of the playoffs, and Earl Sleek who covers the Ducks was nothing but a class act in both his posts and his comments.  This site has gone on to become a daily read.  And the cartoons are almost always funny as hell.

Barry Melrose Rocks (General)

One that I came across while trying to line up sites for the blogroll here at CNca.  If you’re looking for a good rant, check it out.

BfloBlog (Sabres / General Sports)

Another one that I hadn’t heard of, that covers not only the Sabres, but sports in general in the Buffalo area,

Waiting for Stanley (Canucks)

I’ll let Zanstorm summarize his thoughts on being selected, and then add my own thoughts:

Thanks for the honor, but I have to be honest here….. there are plenty of sites that didn’t make the list that should be miles ahead of me…
I’m not sure what kind of clout these people have. Thanks for the mention, but please lay off the crack!!! It’s just not good for you.

Man, sometimes you need to step back from the site and have a look at what’s actually going on with what you’re doing.  The good info on the site, as well as the tendency to go off on some of the best rants I’ve seen in a long time makes this one my favourite blogs, on ANY topic.  Seriously.  Don’t brush it off, you’re doing some great work.

Battle of Alberta (Flames & Oilers)

One of the original "Battle of" sites, written by a couple of guys who’ve put aside the differences that fans of these teams naturally feel towards each other to create one of the best hockey blogs around.

Japers’ Rink (Capitals)

This is another site that I came across while trolling for the blogroll.  I looked at a number of different Caps blogs, and this one stood out by far as the best.

Behind the Jersey (Red Wings)

Another one that I hadn’t come across, but it’s now going to be the Red Wings blog linked to in the blogroll.

And now some thoughts on sites that they might have at least considered, but didn’t.  Some of these are team based, and some are more general coverage, and admittedly the team based ones are Canucks blogs (after all, that’s why you’re here, right)?

The Yankee Canuck (Canucks)

How could any Canucks fan not love a guy who, while living in NYC in 1994 pulled more for Bure, Linden McLean, et al, than he did for the Rangers?  Live blogs (and, even better, Drunk Live Blogs) make this one of the best reads out there.  Mike recently moved to a new domain, but the link to the old site still works as well.

Canucks & Beyond (Canucks)

It’s hard to come across a blogger (and podcaster) as funny as Alanah, who has absolutely no problem in wearing her heart on her sleeve when talking about the Canucks .  She’s completely passionate about the game, and has an ever-lasting hatred for the Wings and Avs.  And that’s not a bad thing at all…

Kukla’s Korner (General)

One of the most professional sites around that isn’t a mainstream media site (MSM) owned by a paper or a TV network.  The breadth of the coverage that Paul puts out is top-notch.

Dear Lord Stanley (General)

A humble, bitterly sarcastic blog dedicated to the National Hockey League.

Funny as hell.  Just go read it.